Ernie Boch Jr. swung open the gate on a newly renovated waterfront garden park on Beach Road in Vineyard Haven that his family has owned for decades on Wednesday.
After many years of vacancy, back-and-forth squabbles with town officials, and being locked and off-limits to visitors, the three-quarter-acre “Boch Park” officially opened on Wednesday morning with a small ceremony with coffee and doughnuts.
Boch — the famous car dealer, billionaire, and Edgartown homeowner — welcomed the public with open arms and symbolically cut the ribbon on his newly opened property on Vineyard Haven’s Beach Road waterfront with a backdrop of sailboats and the ferry moving through the harbor.
“I did this so that people would do more beautification, not just here, but everywhere. This is beautiful,” Boch said Wednesday, pointing to a freshly manicured courtyard teeming with newly planted and colorful flowers overlooking Vineyard Haven Harbor.
“The park is open, and everything is good. It’s here as part of the beautification of the Beach Road, to offset that monstrosity of that Vineyard Wind building,” he added.
Boch, alongside Ryan Rulie who manages Boch’s property, said as of right now, Boch Park will be open from dawn until dusk, with no nighttime accessibility, and no parking available in front. The park is specifically for walk-ins only.
The property has a storied past, going back decades. Ernie Boch Sr. — Edgartown resident and Ernie Boch Jr.’s father — purchased the property in 1987 for $600,000, to be developed as a parking lot. The Tisbury planning board rejected the elder Boch’s plan to build a 99-car valet parking lot there in 1994, right after the Martha’s Vineyard Commission approved the plans. Boch sued the town, and the case went to land court, where a judge found that he could reapply to the town, though the judge noted that it might not be legal according to town bylaws. As Boch went to build, the town’s building inspector shot the idea down. The parcel remained mainly vacant before planning for the park began in 2016. For a brief period, Boch had planned the property to be a bird sanctuary. For the last several years it has been a well-manicured garden with a locked gate.
“It’s a checkered past, and it’s all forgotten,” said Boch Jr. at the ceremony on Wednesday where he was flanked by other business owners, Tisbury select board members, and other town officials.
Tisbury select board Chair Christina Colarusso said that she was glad to see the park opening.
“This is the symbol of a new beginning,” she said.
Boch said the park will stay open for as long as the community respects the property, and that includes dog owners as well.
“We’re gonna keep it maintained and keep it nice, and as long as it stays that way, I’ll keep it open,” said Boch, who also toured the waterfront in front of Gannon&Benjamin Marine Railway and connected his opening of the park to the larger vision of a reimagined waterfront district under the title of HarborWorks. That initiative, announced last year and still in the conceptual phase, is spearheaded by Steve Bernier, chair of Vineyard Lands for our Community and the owner of the MVTimes newspaper, which is located on Beach Road next to the park.
The car magnate said he was pleased to announce the opening for the public across the Island and expressed his hope that the park would become part of that larger vision for a celebration of the waterfront and all who live and work there: “I want them to enjoy it.”
Thank you, Mr. Boch, and congratulations. When you said “to offset that monstrosity of that Vineyard Wind building,” were you referring to their nearby headquarters or to their looming dormitory on Spring Street?
That Spring Street dorm certainly qualifies as a “monstrosity” — so out of place in that quiet residential neighborhood.
When was the last time Spring St was actually a “quiet residential neighborhood”? It’s been a while….
Great job Ernie
This is wonderful news!
This makes me happy. Thank you. Katy
My father (Jamie Weisman) suggested the town take this space by eminent domain in the late 90s earlier 00s due to the is poor state for decades. He designed a park for this space during that time. Next the state will redo the sea wall on beach road and prolly turn space around beach road into a design similar to my fathers. Within 20yrs most likey.
Great job, Mr. Boch! Your neighbors at the Times will be the first to be gratified, I’m sure. Long since that area of Tisbury has reminded those of us who stare, and who used to stare, out the windows of the Times, as a picture of downtown Trenton in the 1930’s. Such a terrible introduction to the Vineyard, particularly for passengers from the steamship. Your park should give the area the boost it needs, if only the selectmen of Tisbury will get on board!
This is so cool! Ernie Boch Jr.’s philanthropy is a true gift to the MV community. I was lucky to win a grant from his great outfit, Music Drives Us, to offer music workshops in early 2017 for island kids at venues across the island and with island musicians as mentors. Thanks, Ernie, for your contributions to community, on the Vineyard and beyond!
Thank you Zeb Weisman. If I remember correctly, James’ Harbor Park design also included the VH area of the lagoon near the drawbridge. Now that the new bridge is built, I have noticed that there is some good access. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to bring his design to fruition?
Thanks from all the Barnes family-WOW-what a gift to Vineyard Haven-Best I have ever seen-God bless-you built something beautiful with all the rocks the town threw at you-and thanks for turning your other cheek for us Ernie You are THE MAN…so was your dad Ernie Sr ALL GOOD !!
this is fantastic. You are wonderful to bring this to Island
I have long admired the plantings at the Boch Park.
Whenever the gate was open I went in to look around.
In my opinion the plantings are very well chosen—the colors are muted and do not overwhelm the seaside location as too-bright colors would do.
The perennial shrubs such as viburnums have matured and attract plenty of birds.
As you walk from the street toward the beach, you will notice the gradual change from more traditional garden plantings to an undomesticated beach environment.
Kudos to Mike Davies, who AFAIK designed the plantings.
LETS SEE HOW LONG THAT LASTS.SOMEONE WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS THERE.GREAT IDEA.JUST A NEW PLACE TO BE DESTROYED
There always has to be one– But , if you comment in all caps, it must be true… But thanks for just shouting negative stuff here, Christopher ,and not throwing a tantrum over something nice in town and vandalizing something in there yourself. And thank you Mr. Boch. — this day has been a long time coming…
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